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LETTER: LCDC is not above oversight

Wed, 11/08/2017 - 8:57amVic MacDonald

The Editor:

No entity such as the Laurens County Economic Development corporation is above oversight in our democratic government! All agencies of government are required to have control and direct policy of influence on the spending of tax payers money. They are not immune to the liabilities of their actions. Members of any board should never remain silent, knowing the original intent of this board, was to remain under the control of the Laurens County government and recruit industrial corporations to provide employment, and taxes to improve the welfare of the citizens of Laurens County.

However, those who took the chairmanship after the first Chairman term ended, filed a non-profit 501c Non-profit corporation with the Internal Revenue Service for tax exemption. This action established them as an independent firm! They are now free of any county oversight, and are not responsible or answerable for any decisions made by them.

They are nothing more than lobbyist using tax payers’ money to persuade politicians of official groups to invest industrial manufacturing facilities in Laurens County. This group spends in round figures $500,000 which includes ($360,000 fee-in-lieu) of county tax dollars every year (budget). A large portion being in salaries of the Executive director, Attorney Counsel, staff, car allowance, advertisement, health insurance, and travel of the staff. It would be interesting to view their tax form 99, which is public knowledge, and is filed with the secretary of state.

Three fascinating facts are one, they charge our local cities and companies who desire a “seat at the table” a fee which could be in the thousands of dollars. These dollars are also your tax dollars at “work”, two, the counties attorney, who is a county employee, ends up as a special counsel to the LCEDC. Do you think he shared with the council members the results of the filing a 501c which removed oversight CC? And three, all their employees insurance are paid in full while county employees are required to pay a portion of their insurance, just liked those in Washington, except themselves liability. How do you think county employees feel about these elitist?

The Laurens County Chairman has stated he has no control over this group1 I say county council members need to cut the tax payers money off. Voters and county employees need to vote for new members CC if they approve this conduct.

Think of this amount of money, which could be spent for the welfare of Laurens County citizens every year and what it could produce. Let them operate as a nonprofit with no tax payers money as they requested so they would not be reasonable to the tax payers.

Sheriffs, 10 new cars with deputies

Four new EMS stations and staff 24/7

Just no end to the amount of improvement one can think of, rather than salaries, free insurance, travel, car allowance, and luncheons for elitist employees.

Parable “because I’m not in law enforcement doesn’t mean I can’t tell a con artist when I see one.”